3 Tips To Slam Dunk A Basketball

It is stating the obvious, but if you want to slam dunk a basketball you need to improve your running vertical jump.
The 3 areas outlined below make up the key things you should focus on
improving if you want to add some significant inches to your running
vertical.

Here at Verticaljumping.com you may have noticed that most of our
vertical jump training articles are focused on unraveling the
complexities of developing relative power as this is what drives our
ability to jump high.

For the most part this is a good approach because with so many different
methods of improving athletic power, and so many different training
parameters to consider in your program, it can often be a bit
overwhelming for athletes when they first start out.

But relative power isn't the only factor that determines how high you
can jump. You also need to be able to apply that power efficiently
through good jumping technique. Of course jumping technique is different
depending on what your sport requires.

A standing vertical jump as used for many testing purposes is easier
to master than one or two step jump such as used in volleyball spikes or
basketball rebounding, and a one or two step jump is definitely easier
to master than a maximum effort running jump such as used for track and
field events (long jump, high jump and triple jump) or slam dunking a
basketball.

As you can see the more movement involved in the type of jumping you are
training for the harder it becomes to master and as such, the more time
you will need to devote to improving your jumping technique. In this
case the maximum effort running jump is the hardest of all to really get
good at.

LEBRON JAMES IN FULL FLIGHT: The King seems to have the hang of it. I love this photo by the way.

So with that in mind, and with a certain awareness that many readers of this site are looking to improve this style of jump, I am going to let you know the 3 most important things that you should be focusing on to help you improve your maximum effort running jumps.

Tip 1: Work on Improving MCV

What is MCV? MCV stands for maximum controlled velocity. It basically
means the maximum speed that you can run without losing control of your
body. To give you an example have you ever seen a toddler start running
and you watch them knowing full well that any moment they are about to
lose it for no reason and face plant the foot path. If not you can watch
pretty much any episode of funniest home videos and see this in action.

As we get older not only do we generally develop enough coordination so
that we don't fall over whenever we run fast, but we also develop enough
sense not to try and run faster than our bodies can handle.

But if you want to jump high off a run then you need to learn how to
increase your MCV so that you can generate more speed on your approach
to convert into vertical jump height.

One of the simplest ways to do this is by simply doing some regular
short burst sprint training. Some short sprints will not only help you
improve your speed and acceleration but will also help you get used to
running fast.

Want To Add 6-12 Inches To Your Vertical Jump

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Tip 2: Work On Your Transition Footwork

The transition period of a running jump is probably the most important
phase. If you cannot smoothly go from horizontal speed into vertical
jump height you will never have a good running jump.

The key here is getting your footwork right and this means mastering the
penultimate step. Here is what I have previously written about the
penultimate step.

The penultimate step is simply the second to last one before you take
off and is a vital to obtaining maximum jump height. During the
penultimate step you slightly lower your centre of gravity to put your
body into a more advantageous position to convert your speed and
momentum into vertical jump height.

Getting the footwork on this phase perfected gets harder the faster you
are running in, but the better you get at it the more height you will
get on your jump. Depending on what your running vertical jump is like
now, spending time practicing work on this is could provide some
significant gains of anywhere between 2-6 inches in pretty quick time.

Here is a terrific example from well know dunker T-Dub.

If you watch the video you will see his take off seems like a simple
extension of his run up. There is no jump stop or loss of forward
momentum and as a result you can see he gets some insane amount of
height (and distance) on his jump.

Tip 3: Remember To Use Your Arms

I am yet to see anyone really pinpoint exactly how much of a role the
upper body plays in developing maximum jump height but I have heard
estimates ranging anywhere from 5% all the way up to (the extreme) 40%.

Some of questions that I get asked about arm swing and vertical jump height
are things like does arm movement help the muscular function of the leg
muscles or does it simply increases the momentum of the force produced,
how much impact can training the upper body have, how much time
should be spent training it, and what is the best way to train upper body for vertical jump improvement.

To all of those questions the answer will probably vary to a certain
degree based on the individual athletes build, limb lengths, and jumping
style. Depending on which coach you ask you will no doubt get a
bunch of different responses in regards to the best approach.

Now, all
that aside, there is one key fact that is not in dispute and that is
regardless of the exact figure of arm contribution, if you do want to
fully maximize your running vertical jump you will need to learn how to
engage the arms and upper body properly to help throw your body into the
air.

This point is so obvious but it is one that many people overlook. If
you watch a lot of high level dunkers or elite track and field athletes
perform their running jumps, you NEVER see them jump with their hands
loosely by their sides. Always their arms are moving either to help
increase approach speed or to generate more vertical force at take off.

In contrast, when you watch athletes with poor running jumps you will often see
them use minimal arm swing as part of their approach and take off. Why?
Because many lower level athletes don't know how to correctly control
the arm swing motion so that it assists the jump so they end up
minimizing the harm poor or ill timed arm swing can do by reducing the
arms involvement altogether. This is a big mistake.

When you are practicing your running vertical jumps it is therefore very
much worth learning to forcefully swing your arms to help generate more
force and momentum. Actually if you watch the T-Dub video above once
again watch the very fast and efficient manner in which he throws his
arms back and then forward into the jump in order to help increase his
jump height. If you are having trouble with your own running jump and
getting the arms involved properly then it might be a good idea to film a
few of your jump attempts. Watch them a few times and compare to an
elite jumper. Note when they swing their arms back and how that compares
to your own movements.

Conclusion

From my own experience and research, once you have developed the requisite relative jumping power then mastering your jumping technique is the next most important thing. These 3 tips cover a lot of the common areas most people need to focus on in order to really maximize your running
vertical jumps and slam dunk a basketball.